Intelligent user determinable power conservation in a portable electronic device
An electronic device includes at least one memory unit, a plurality of applications residing on at least one of the memory units, a display screen and a portable power supply. The electronic device also includes a power management module, which has a power monitor for monitoring an amount of remaining power available from the portable power supply. A processor is operatively associated with the memory units, display screen and portable power supply. The processor is configured to indicate to a user that one or more predetermined ones of the applications should not be used in order to conserve power when the remaining power falls below the first threshold level.
1. One or more computer-readable storage media, not comprising a propagated data signal, containing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors disposed in an electronic device having a portable power supply, perform a method comprising the steps of:
determining that an amount of remaining power available from the portable power supply falls below a first threshold level; and
in response to the amount of remaining power falling below the first threshold level, indicating to a user that one or more predetermined applications residing on the electronic device should not be used in order to conserve power, said indication being provided for applications that are both active and inactive, wherein indicating to the user further comprises causing an icon presented on a display which opens each of the one or more predetermined applications to be modified in appearance to thereby indicate to the user that the one or more predetermined applications should not be used in order to conserve power, wherein said modification does not halt or prevent the execution of an application associated with the icon.
2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the icon is modified so that it is rendered in grayscale instead of color.
3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the icon is reduced in size.
4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the one or more predetermined applications are selected by a default power management scheme.
5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 4 further comprising a phone application, a camera application and a browser application, the one or more predetermined applications being selected by the default power management scheme including the camera and browser applications.
6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein indicating to the user further comprises presenting a message to the user on a display associated with the electronic device which identifies the one or more predetermined applications which should not be used in order to conserve power.
7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for: continuing to monitor the amount of power remaining in the power supply; determining that the remaining power falls below a second threshold level; and in response to the amount of remaining power falling below the second threshold level, indicating to the user that one or more additional applications should not be used in order to conserve power.
8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the first threshold level is configured by the user.
9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the one or more predetermined applications are selected by the user.
10. An electronic device, comprising:
at least one memory unit storing computer-executable instructions;
a plurality of applications residing on at least one of the memory units;
a display screen;
a portable power supply;
a power management module, said power management module including a power monitor for monitoring an amount of remaining power available from the portable power supply; and
a processor operatively associated with the memory units, display screen and portable power supply, wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed by said processor perform a method comprising: i) indicating to a user that one or more predetermined ones of the applications should not be used in order to conserve power when the remaining power falls below a first threshold level, and ii) providing the indication to the user for applications that are both active and inactive, wherein indicating to the user further comprises causing an icon presented on the display screen which opens each of the one or more predetermined ones of the applications to be modified in appearance to thereby indicate to the user that the one or more predetermined ones of the applications should not be used in order to conserve power, wherein said modification does not halt or prevent the execution of an application associated with the icon.
11. The electronic device of claim 10 , at least one of the memory units being configured to store user-selectable settings defining one or more parameters specifying a manner in which the one or more predetermined applications that should not be used are indicated to the user.
12. The electronic device of claim 10 , at least one of the memory units being configured to store user-selectable settings defining one or more parameters specifying the one or more predetermined applications that should not be used in order to conserve power.
13. A method for conserving battery power in an electronic device, comprising:
monitoring an indicia of battery power remaining in the electronic device;
if the indicia being monitored reaches a first prescribed value, implementing a power management scheme by communicating to a user that a first subset of features of the electronic device should remain or become inactive, said indication communication being provided for applications that are both active and inactive, wherein communicating to the user further comprises causing an icon presented on a display which opens each of a first subset of features be modified in appearance to thereby indicate to the user that the first subset of features should not be used in order to conserve power, wherein said modification does not halt or prevent the use of a feature associated with the icon.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein, if the indicia being monitored reaches a second prescribed value, implementing the power management scheme further comprises communicating to the user that in addition to the first subset of features, a second subset of features of the electronic device should remain or become inactive, wherein at least one of the features in the second set of features consumes more battery power than any of the features in the first subset of features.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the icon is modified so that it is rendered in grayscale instead of color.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein at least on feature in the first subset of features is preselected by the user.